A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Suburbia
Today, while driving out to Manchester & 141, I decided to stop at the Target store in Kirkwood. The parking lot was packed. I bought a new car two weeks ago (Scion xA) so I wasn’t interested in parking close to the door and getting dings.
I backed into a space on the extreme edge because large SUV’s nearby would make visibility when leaving a challenge. As I walked across the large parking lot it really hit me how dated this two-year old store seems since it lacks any underground parking like our city location at Hampton & Chippewa. I don’t visit places with large parking lots often so it was quite a reality check. We’ve really come a long way by having our new Target with the bulk of its parking underneath the building.
I’m still trying to shop locally. I just had to get a new knit cap due to the cold, I spent $1.99 on a new one. I resisted buying anything else. If you know of a local store with good knit caps please comment below.
– Steve
I am looking for a new knit cap too — one in Steve’s price range, one that keeps my ears warm and one that doesn’t make me look like a serial killer.
You were close – I would’ve checked the Alpine shop (440 N Kirkwood Rd.) first, followed by REI and/or Eddie Bauer, followed by Dick’s Sporting Goods and/or the Sports Authority – think skiing & snow boarding!
[REPLY – Alpine Shop would have been a good locally owned choice. The others are all chains, some involving the dreaded indoor mall. – SLP]
I’m glad I bought my new knit cap on Boston’s trendy Newbury Street when I was there for a conference recently. They had tons of fabulous retail along the street, all in restored brownstones. The pricetag doesn’t fit a Target wallet — but I do know that my cap will last a very long time….and that’s a good thing as DC is getting their first snow of the season!
It seems to me there’s a hat/winter stuff shop on the Delmar Loop across from Fitz’s, but I don’t recall its name.
You could always swing by Hartford Coffee on a Saturday morning and buy a knit cap from one of the Urban Knitters.
Over Thanksgiving I had the displeasure of getting to visit Nebraska Furniture Mart in Kansas City, KS. It took five minutes to walk across the parking lot. You could most likely fit about 5 super Wal-mart’s in this place. It sucks!!! On the plus side it is two stories, but the place is excessive. The website says that it covers 80 acres.
http://www.nfm.com/store_kansascity.asp
Part of what we’re seeing here is the result of skyrocketing land values and the difference in level of subsidy.
Kirkwood Commons Shopping Center – which, bizarrely, includes both a Target and a Wal-Mart – is built on what used to be the western half of the Meacham Park neighborhood. Meacham Park is a predominantly African-American pocket, hit hard by I-44 construction and public housing development in the 1970s. Kirkwood annexed most of it in I believe 1993.
The redevelopment planning came only a few years later. I believe a pretty big TIF was used.
By contrast, land values in the SW section of the City of St. Louis are astronomical right now. I’m sure Steve has access to more recent sales data, but in any event I’m sure it would have been difficult to build the new Target without underground parking. A huge subsidy would have been necessary to buy-out the relatively expensive houses just across Clifton Avenue behind the store. Instead, I think only the almost obligatory tax abatement was invoked. No TIF.
This is a good sign for the City – regardless of whether population is actually increasing. 😉